Help - hand rearing 4 week old kittens? urgent

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I hope they have a long and happy life

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Update on this.   3 weeks on the kittens are both doing well.  The person caring for them is leaving Saudi soon so can't keep them but she has found a lady who takes in stray cats and kittens and who will take them so they will be going to her shortly.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

well the little one is taking some food now so hopefully they will both do ok.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I suspect she may have probs with vets and stuff their cos saw a programme on Saudi in last few weeks and there are real problems for women out there. let alone probs with vets and food.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

She's not been online yet today but I will ask whereabouts she is.  She said she had got some kitten milk but I'm not sure what brand.

ETA she's in Saudi Arabia

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

This is hard Susanne cos it depends which country she is in to be able to get the right food and milk.

I know Pav told me in Iran it was hard to get cat food at all and thats why she had put Mister onto a raw diet.

I hope there is a vet who can help

[Feline Costumier]

She should probably get them to the vet asap, they are young and there is no knowing how long they were left without mum, food and water.

I'd possibly be trying to syringe water into the little one too, might be very dehydrated (I'm assuming it's probably quite warm out there which would exacerbate any dehydration issues?).

She should probably make sure they are flea free too which is another thing to sap the life out of young kittens.

I'm not sure how old they are when they start toileting by themselves and whether she needs to rub their bottoms to encourage still?

I'd be beside myself if i had such an unresponsive baby so can imagine how she's feeling.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Thanks.  I've suggested syringing kitten milk into the little one and mixing it with a bit of wet food to make a "soup".

Is the little one just developing a bit slower and not yet ready for solid food?  She said she thought he was going to die there and then in her hand when she found them as he was so unresponsive and not playing like the other one, but he is taking some food.

[Feline Costumier]

I'm no expert but could she try and syringe the milk into the reluctant one? Also perhaps try "kitten soup", mixing up a slop of milk and wet food?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I know this is in the wrong place and that there is a thread in h&b about 5 weeks olds but I need some urgent advice for someone on another forum I use.  She lives in the middle east (not sure exactly where) and has found 2 kittens abandoned that she thinks are about 4 weeks old.  she is feeding them some wet food and kitten milk in a bottle (not sure what brand milk) and whilst one of them is taking it the other isn't taking in much and will only have about a tsp of milk and is very small and weak.  Any advice I can pass onto her?